Integrity and identity were the main themes at a CIA information session Monday night in Wilson 101. The more than 50 students attending - who were carded at the door for Brown IDs - heard a recruitment pitch for overseas and domestic work that stressed stricter requirements than Brown students may be used to.
Two sub-divisions of the agency, the National Clandestine Service and the Directorate of Intelligence, were represented. National Clandestine Service, created in 2005, is responsible for collecting human intelligence. It often works with other agencies overseas, according to an agent whose name cannot be revealed for personal safety reasons. The person, who uses a 'cover', or fake identity, during overseas work, said most jobs in NCS required covers.
Employees working overseas (possibly in espionage) could be assigned "any possible cover based on what your mission might be," the officer said. "Your name doesn't change, your family doesn't change but you have to work for someone else (such as an intelligence agency overseas) and you have to be comfortable with that."
The CIA officer said that no one is allowed to know the real job of a CIA officer working overseas. "You have to tell (family and friends) that you are someplace else," he said.
Another agent represented the Directorate of Intelligence, which she said analyzed the intelligence the NCS collected from Washington. This agent stressed the importance of full disclosure when filling out an application. Applicants cannot have consumed any recreational or medical drugs (without prescription) in the past year; any applicants who have been involved with child pornography need not apply; applicants cannot have worked for the Peace Corps five years prior to application, in order to ensure that peacekeeping and intelligence staff are not considered to be working together.
Henry Chien '09 said that he was considering applying, even though he admitted: "some of the rules I've broken already."
All three representatives at the meeting were candid about job details, emphasizing the agency's demand for secrecy. Another agent said applicants with blogs were strongly discouraged from posting details about the agency once immersed in the application process. And at the event Monday night, photographs were prohibited to ensure the safety of the agents.
The clandestine officer stressed the importance of a CIA job in ensuring national security. He told the crowd "you should be able to go to school and live your life," adding that in order for that to happen, "people get stopped every day from coming over here (to the U.S.) and doing things."
The woman from the Directorate of Intelligence added that being committed to the job was crucial, as some aspects don't necessarily resound with everyone's ethical code. "We do manipulate people (during recruiting)," she said. "If someone says they like tennis, I say 'Great, so do I!' They're like little lies."
The clandestine officer spoke with pride about his job, saying "I am a CIA undercover officer because I believe in America."
Neel Odedara '09, who is thinking of applying to be an analyst for the Directorate, said "I have a much greater appreciation for what they do."
